Tuesday, June 22, 2021

The Price


At the heart of much speculative fiction (and fiction in general) is a question. What if? On Tuesdays I like to throw one out there and see what you make of it. Do with it as you please. If a for-instance is not specified, feel free to interpret that instance as you wish. And if you find this becomes a novel-length answer, I'd appreciate a thank you in the acknowledgements.
😉

What if someone had a way to take all your pain away (physically, mentally, and/or spiritually), but it would only work if you lost all of your empathy (caring, feelings, etc.)?

20 comments:

  1. Well, we really wouldn't care if we lost our empathy then, right? So, we wouldn't be sorry for making that choice. It makes me think of the side effects of some medications actually. Unless it were unbearable pain, physically or mentally, then I'll keep it in order to care.

    ReplyDelete
  2. All I could think of was an old Star Trek episode about an empath. She was able to take away pain by absorbing the hurt into herself.

    Empathy is what makes us human. The cost of losing all my pain is far too high.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That always irritates me. Every healer knows you take the pain, and then you release the pain from yourself. You don't keep it...

      Delete
  3. I think I'd stick with my pain. How about you?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Replies
    1. I suspect this might be the popular choice.

      Delete
  5. I can't truly answer this, because I do not live in chronic pain. I've read stories where people have contemplated ending their lives because their constant, unrelenting pain was so great, month after month after month. It's something I hope I never get to experience. If I was in that position, I honestly don't know what I would choose.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Depending on the pain, it might be a hard choice.

      Delete
    2. But a very thoughtful answer. Do you live with unbearable pain or do you make a deal with the devil?

      Delete
    3. Right. It wouldn't be an easy choice for some.

      Delete
  6. Dealing with pain constantly and the last 2 days, being quite tough, I would not do this. ...never. I would end up being. Narcissistic sociopath and or psychopath...so another Trump...never.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, that's the fear. It would be a definite possibility.

      Delete
  7. No...I wouldn't
    Coffee is on and stay safe

    ReplyDelete
  8. This is a tough one! I wouldn't want to lose my feelings. So I am going to stick with the pain.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Pain is the only thing we own. 'Nuff said.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ah, but do we *need* the pain? Temporary pain is good sometimes. It helps us grow. And some pain helps us know to leave something alone while we heal. But some pain, pain that goes on and on, is just suffering. Do we need to suffer?

      Delete

I appreciate your comments.

I respond to comments* via email, unless your profile email is not enabled. Then, I'll reply in the comment thread. Eventually. Probably.

*Exception: I do not respond to "what if?" comments, but I do read them all. Those questions are open to your interpretation, and I don't wish to limit your imagination by what I thought the question was supposed to be.